Brave Kashmir Girl Rukhsana Made Special Police Officer

2 November 2009IANS

Jammu: Rukhsana, the brave Jammu and Kashmir girl who took on Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists in September, has been appointed a Special Police Officer, a temporary job which would fetch her Rs.3,000 a month. The police have issued the orders while Rukhsana is in Delhi. Her brother, Aijaz, too has been appointed SPO, a police officer said Monday. A police official said the appointment orders have been issued to enable the sister and brother to keep weapons and also earn some money to sustain themselves. The police officer said Rukhsana, who figures on the hit list of terrorists, needed weapons for self protection. ‘There was no other way of doing things,’ he said. Asked why was she given the appointment as the SPO and the fire-arm when she has been shifted to Delhi, the police officer said, ‘It was necessary because terrorists can strike anywhere.’ The jobs of the SPOs are generally given to surrendered militants or to able-bodied people looking for jobs. Earlier, an SPO would get Rs.1,500 per month. This amount was enhanced to Rs.3,000 in 2006 by then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Rukhsana, who hails from Kalsi village in upper Shahdhara area of Rajouri district, 180 km north of Jammu, had grappled with LeT terrorists who entered her home, grabbed an AK-47 from one and shot him dead. The militant killed was Abu Osama, LeT commander. Since then, militants are after her life.